Nashville bar where Morgan Wallen was arrested shares cryptic message about the incident

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By Maya Cantina

  • The bar at which troubled country star Morgan Wallen threw a chair from a sixth story balcony is making light of the situation with a joke on their marquee
  • Wallen was arrested Sunday night after allegedly throwing a chair from the top of the Broadway bar, which had been celebrating its grand opening weekend 

The marquee outside the bar where country star Morgan Wallen threw a chair off a balcony this weekend has been changed to mock the incident that led to the troubled singer’s arrest.

The marquee outside of Chief’s bar in Nashville now reads: ‘Our pigs fly, our chairs don’t.’

Wallen was arrested Sunday night after allegedly throwing a chair from the top of the six-story Broadway bar, which had been celebrating its grand opening weekend. Wallen, 30, was subsequently charged with three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct.

The phrase on the marquee pokes fun at the disturbing incident, while also highlighting the bar’s barbecue menu items.

But the city’s director of nightlife has emphasized that the incident is no laughing matter.

‘I’ve thought about that all morning. How do you explain why a 30-year-old man would decide to throw a stool off the top of a rooftop bar? I am simply dumbfounded,’ said Benton McDonough.

The new Chief’s bar marquee reads at the top on the left: ‘Our pigs fly, our chairs don’t,’ referencing the unfortunate incident that led to country star Morgan Wallen’s arrest over the weekend

Wallen (right) is seen here being cuffed Sunday night after throwing a chair off the bar's sixth floor balcony

Wallen (right) is seen here being cuffed Sunday night after throwing a chair off the bar’s sixth floor balcony

The chair Wallen tossed reportedly almost hit two officers who were standing on Broadway outside the honky tonk.

Wallen’s arrest affidavit claims the chair landed within three feet of the officers just before 11pm on Sunday.

In security footage reviewed by authorities, Wallen is seen lunging and throwing the chair from the top of the structure.

Wallen, 30, was released later Sunday night after being charged with three felony counts of reckless endangerment

Wallen, 30, was released later Sunday night after being charged with three felony counts of reckless endangerment

One witness told officers he threw the chair over him and laughed after.

The bar manager told local outlet WSMV4 that the bar is not releasing video of the incident, and have no comment at this time.

The country crooner was released from jail in Nashville on a $15,250 bond.

According to his attorneys, he is cooperating with the investigation and is scheduled to appear again in court on May 3 at 10.30am. 

Wallen was reportedly upset by his former flame Katie ‘KT’ Smith’s marriage to Luke Scornavacco on April 3, which happened just five days after they got engaged.

Smith, who was at one time engaged to Wallen, spoke out Monday about her ex’s arrest in the wake of her marriage.

‘Although it may seem like it correlates because of the timeline, I have no evidence to believe the incident had anything to do with the recent marriage announcement,’ she told the Daily Beast on Monday.

‘I cannot speak on Morgan’s behalf, but I do pray the very best for him. Praying that this was just a slipup and that he will return to the good path that he was on prior.’ 

The pair announced the news on her social media with a picture of Smith, 29, holding up a marriage certificate from the Wilson County Clerk’s Office in Tennessee as the two grinned at the camera.

Sources told DailyMail.com: ‘KT’s marriage to Luke last week just crushed him.’

The source added, ‘Of course he knew they were engaged and eventually going to get married – but eloping just days after they got engaged?

‘Morgan has never gotten over her even though he couldn’t stay faithful to her. And now another man is going to be raising his son. 

‘Whatever happened at that bar had to be reality hitting him in the face over losing the love of his life.’

The pair dated on-and-off from 2016 to 2019, welcoming a son together in 2020.

Chief's Bar is owned by fellow country artist Eric Church and was celebrating its grand opening over the weekend

Chief’s Bar is owned by fellow country artist Eric Church and was celebrating its grand opening over the weekend

Wallen was reportedly upset by his former flame Katie 'KT' Smith's marriage to Luke Scornavacco on April 3 , which happened just five days after they got engaged

Wallen was reportedly upset by his former flame Katie ‘KT’ Smith’s marriage to Luke Scornavacco on April 3 , which happened just five days after they got engaged 

McDonough said that the nightlife staff at the bar, the Metro Beer Board, police, and the fire marshal are all investigating the incident.

Currently, there are no rules about netting or other safety barriers that could potentially wrap around rooftop bars to keep items from falling to the busy Broadway street below.

Items plunging from the roofs and terraces of Broadway bars is not an everyday issue, but McDonough says he is committed to solving the safety issue.

‘I think the more expansive (rooftop bar ledges) are, I think the better that is because I think that cuts down on accidental spills that we see from time to time,’ he said, according to local outlet WSMV4.

‘It also makes it more difficult for someone to actually throw an object from the roof, and it makes it more likely with the cameras we have, in the bars and that sort of thing, to be able to catch the culprit who does take that action.’

Morgan Wallen, 30, shot to stardom after wowing judges on The Voice, but his career has been marred by scandals and controversies leading up to his most recent arrest for chucking a chair off a rooftop bar in Nashville

Morgan Wallen, 30, shot to stardom after wowing judges on The Voice, but his career has been marred by scandals and controversies leading up to his most recent arrest for chucking a chair off a rooftop bar in Nashville 

It does not appear likely that Nashville authorities will altogether dismiss the charges against Wallen.

In fact, authorities are arguing that the chair Wallen chucked was used in a capacity that would allow it to be categorized as a ‘deadly weapon.’

If he were to be convicted and sentenced for his three felony charges, one attorney told Fox News Wallen could be looking at up to six years in prison. The disorderly conduct charge may be a misdemeanor, which would carry at most a sentence of 11 months and 29 days.

The attorney, former New York prosecutor Rither Alabre, added that the next step for the performer is to have his attorney ‘engage with prosecutors and try to resolve this matter with a plea to a lesser charge, either a misdemeanor or even possibly a lower charge where he would face little to no jail time.’ 

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